Want to Build Muscle and Reduce the Appearance of Hip Dips?

Have you ever looked up hip dip exercises and found yourself with more confusion than answers? With so many different tips and countless workout videos, just getting started can feel overwhelming.

Maybe you want to build fuller glutes, feel stronger on leg day, or learn what exercise can actually change about your shape. No matter your reason, you deserve a plan that fits your body, without feeling pressured to look like someone else.

Grab your water bottle and keep reading. We’ll cover exercises for all levels, how often to train, nutrition basics, and practical tips for building muscle. We’ll also explain hip dips, set realistic expectations, and point out common mistakes. If you want extra help, a Crunch Fitness trainer can build a routine that works for you.

How to Get Started with Hip and Glute Training

Building muscle around your hips starts with hip and glute exercises that challenge your glutes and hip abductors using bodyweight, bands, and weights. The hip dips exercises below are grouped by difficulty and equipment, so choose your starting point based on your current strength.

Think months of consistent training, not a weekend squat marathon. Visible changes vary with bone structure, genetics, and body composition.

Muscle growth needs enough challenging sets and progressive overload, gradually increasing repetitions or resistance while maintaining good form. Start with this workout:

• Glute bridges: 2 sets of 10 or 15 repetitions.
• Squats: 2 sets of 8 or 12 repetitions.
• Banded clamshells: 2 sets of 12 or 15 repetitions per side.

Try working out on Mondays and Thursdays, so you have time to recover between sessions. Rest for 60 to 120 seconds between sets, and add more resistance when the reps start to feel easier. Your glutes need both a challenge and time to recover.

Explore Crunch’s exercises for strong hips for movement instructions and more training options.

Best Hip Dip Exercises for Beginners

Are you new to hip and glute training? Start with simple moves that help you learn how to engage your muscles, control your positioning, and build foundational strength. These beginner hip dips exercises give you a chance to practice before adding heavier resistance.

Glute Bridges

Glute bridges work the muscles at the back of your hips while teaching you to lift through your hips without borrowing movement from your lower back.

How to Do It

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat, and arms resting beside you.
• Position your feet about hip-width apart, with your heels comfortably close to your bottom.
• Gently brace your abdomen, keeping your ribs from flaring upward.
• Press through your feet and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips until your shoulders, hips, and knees roughly align.
• Pause briefly, then lower slowly without letting your knees collapse inward.

Tip: Lifting higher isn’t always better. Stop before your lower back starts to arch.

 

Clamshells

Clamshells train the glutes along the side of your hips as you open your top knee, much like a shell. No ocean required.

How to Do It

• Lie on your side with your knees bent and your feet, hips, and shoulders stacked.
• Rest your head on your lower arm or a pillow, and place your top hand on your hip.
• Keep your feet together and gently brace your abdomen.
• Slowly lift your top knee only as far as you can without rolling your pelvis backward.
• Lower with control, then complete your repetitions before switching sides.

Tip: Keep your top hand on your pelvis to notice any rocking. A small, steady movement is better than a big roll.

Standing Hip Abductions With Bodyweight

The name sounds technical, but the movement is simple: move one leg out to the side. This exercise works your outer hip muscles while giving the standing leg a little stability homework.

How to Do It

• Stand beside a sturdy chair or wall, holding lightly for balance.
• Shift onto one leg, keeping that knee soft.
• Point your other foot forward and slowly lift it sideways.
• Keep your torso upright and hips level; stop before leaning.
• Lower slowly, repeat, then switch legs.

Tip: Focus on reaching your leg sideways, not lifting it as high as possible. There’s no need to aim for a high kick.

Discover: Best Hip Flexor Exercises to Improve Mobility & Reduce Tightness

Side-Lying Leg Raises

Take your standing side lift to the floor, where balance gets a break, and your outer glutes keep working. Side-lying leg raises help you practice moving your leg independently of your pelvis.

How to Do It

• Lie on your side, head supported and hips stacked.
• Bend your bottom knee; keep your top leg straight, aligned with your torso.
• Brace your core and point your top toes forward.
• Lift your top leg slightly without rolling back or tilting your pelvis.
• Lower slowly, repeat, then switch sides.

Tip: If your toes point up, adjust your position. Keep the movement small so you stay in control.

Bodyweight Squats

Think of squats as practicing your chair landing, minus the dramatic flop. They strengthen your glutes and thighs while teaching your hips, knees, and ankles to work together.

How to Do It

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly outward if comfortable.
• Brace your core and reach your arms forward.
• Bend your hips and knees, lowering down and slightly back.
• Keep feet flat and knees aligned with your toes.
• Lower to a comfortable, controlled depth, then push through your feet to stand.

Tip: Put a sturdy chair behind you and lightly tap the seat before standing up. This gives you a steady target as you build confidence.

Gluteus Medius and Hip Abductor Exercises

Time to give your side glutes some attention. Your hip abductors include the gluteus medius and minimus, which help move your legs sideways and stabilize your pelvis.

Training these muscles can build strength and contribute to fullness around the outer hips, although it won’t change the bone structure behind hip dips.

These hip and glute exercises work best with controlled movement and resistance you can manage without leaning, twisting, or swinging.

Banded Lateral Walks

A few sideways steps can give your outer glutes plenty to do. Banded lateral walks challenge you to move against resistance while keeping your knees and pelvis steady.

How to Do It

• Place a loop band just above your knees.
• Stand with feet hip-width apart, hips and knees slightly bent.
• Brace your core and step sideways, toes forward.
• Follow with your other foot, keeping feet apart and band taut.
• Take several controlled steps, then reverse, keeping your torso steady.

Tip: Taking bigger steps isn’t always better. Pick a step size that helps you avoid swaying or dragging your back foot.

Standing Cable Hip Abductions

The cable machine gives your side glutes an adjustable challenge. Moving your leg outward against the cable trains your hip abductors while your standing leg keeps you stable.

How to Do It

• Set the pulley low and attach an ankle cuff as instructed.
• Stand sideways, cuff secured to the ankle farthest from the machine.
• Hold the support, stand tall, and soften your supporting knee.
• Slowly lift your working leg sideways, toes forward and hips level.
• Return slowly without resting the weight stack; finish your set, then switch sides.

Tip: Start with a light weight. If you have to lean your torso to move the weight, try using less resistance.

Side-Lying Hip Abduction With Ankle Weights

Remember those side-lying leg raises? Here’s their slightly more demanding sequel.

An ankle weight adds resistance to the same movement, giving your outer hip muscles more work without adding a balance challenge.

How to Do It

• Secure a light ankle weight and lie on your opposite side.
• Support your head, bend your bottom knee, and stack your hips.
• Keep your top leg straight, aligned with your torso, toes forward.
• Lift slowly, stopping before your pelvis tilts or rolls back.
• Lower with control, finish your set, then switch sides.

Tip: Learn the movement without any weight first. Even a light ankle weight can make this exercise much harder.

Read more: 10 Must-Try Glute Training Exercises for Stronger Lifts and a Sculpted Booty

Fire Hydrants

Fire hydrants challenge the muscles around your outer hips as you lift a bent knee sideways while keeping the rest of your body still.

How to Do It

• Start on all fours, hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
• Brace your core and keep your back neutral.
• Keep one knee bent and slowly lift it sideways.
• Stop before your torso twists or your weight shifts sideways.
• Lower slowly, finish your repetitions, then switch legs.

Tip: Picture keeping your lower back steady, as if you were balancing something on it. Focus on control, not lifting your leg as high as possible.

Monster Walks With Resistance Bands

A slightly silly name for some serious glute teamwork. Monster walks use diagonal steps to challenge your hip abductors while your glutes and thighs help you hold a shallow squat.

How to Do It

• Place a loop band just above your knees.
• Stand with feet hip width apart and lower into a shallow squat.
• Keep your chest lifted, core braced, and knees aligned with toes.
• Alternate small steps diagonally forward and outward.
• Keep feet apart and the band taut.
• Check behind you, then reverse with small diagonal steps.

Tip: Try to keep your body at the same height. If you find yourself bouncing up between steps, take smaller steps or use a lighter band.

Glute Building Compound Exercises

Ready to give your glutes a bigger assignment? Compound exercises involve movement at multiple joints, bringing several muscle groups into the action. Squats, split squats, and step-ups train your glutes and your thighs, while hip thrusts and Romanian deadlifts emphasize hip extension.

These movements offer opportunities to gradually increase resistance and build overall glute size and strength. Over time, that muscle development may contribute to a fuller appearance around your hips and thighs, although changes in hip dips will vary.

Hip Thrusts

Think of hip thrusts as your glute bridge’s gym-going cousin. Supporting your upper back on a bench allows your hips to travel through a larger range of motion, with the gluteus maximus doing much of the lifting.

How to Do It

• Sit with your upper back against a secured bench, feet flat.
• Start with bodyweight; add a securely held, padded hip weight when ready.
• Keep feet hip width apart, shins roughly vertical at the top.
• Brace your core, tuck your chin slightly, and push through your feet.
• Lift until torso and thighs align, squeezing glutes without arching your back.
• Lower slowly, keeping feet planted and weight secure.

Tip: Finish the movement by lifting through your hips, not your chest. If your chest rises too much, make the lift smaller and reset your core.

Romanian Deadlifts

Your hips move backward, your glutes and hamstrings get to work, and your dumbbells stay close for the ride. Romanian deadlifts teach the hip hinge, a useful movement pattern for lifting both gym weights and everyday objects.

How to Do It

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, dumbbells in front of your thighs.
• Soften your knees, brace your core, and keep your spine neutral.
• Push your hips back, lowering the weights close to your legs.
• Feel your hamstrings stretch; stop before your back rounds.
• Push through your feet and bring your hips forward to stand, weights close.

Tip: Focus on moving your hips back, not reaching for the floor. The movement should come from your hips.

If learning a hip hinge feels confusing, explore how working with a personal trainer can fit your goals and budget.

Bulgarian Split Squats

One foot gets a seat while the other leg handles most of the assignment. Bulgarian split squats challenge your glutes and thighs individually, with a little balance practice included.

How to Do It

• Rest the top of one foot behind you on a stable, low bench.
• Step your front foot forward comfortably, keeping your feet slightly apart sideways.
• Brace your core, face hips forward, and lean slightly from your hips.
• Bend your front knee, lowering your back knee while keeping your front heel grounded.
• Lower only as far as you can control without twisting or discomfort.
• Push through your front foot to stand; finish your set, then switch sides.

Tip: Use a sturdy support while you’re learning. Good balance helps you focus on working your leg, not on staying upright.

Sumo Squats

Give your squat a little extra room. A wider stance recruits your glutes, thighs, and inner thigh muscles, adding variety to your lower body routine.

How to Do It

• Stand with feet wider than shoulder width apart, toes comfortably outward.
• Use bodyweight or hold a dumbbell securely in front.
• Brace your core and bend your hips and knees, lowering between your legs.
• Keep feet flat and knees aligned with your toes.
• Lower to a comfortable, controlled depth, then push through your feet to stand.

Tip: Pick a stance that feels comfortable for your hips. A wider stance isn’t always better, especially if it causes your knees to move inward.

Step-Ups

Stair climbing gets a strength training upgrade. Step-ups work your glutes and thighs one leg at a time while challenging you to keep your hips steady.

How to Do It

• Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes comfortably outward.
• Use bodyweight or hold a dumbbell securely in front.
• Brace your core and bend your hips and knees, lowering between your legs.
• Keep feet flat and knees aligned with your toes.
• Lower to a comfortable, controlled depth, then push through your feet to stand.

Tip: Practice stepping down with control before adding dumbbells. If you land hard, use a lower step and work on controlling your movement.

Free Weight and Resistance Exercises for Hip Dips

Once bodyweight movements feel manageable, added resistance gives your muscles a new challenge. Dumbbells, barbells, bands, and cables let you gradually increase the demands of your hip dips workouts, supporting muscle growth through progressive overload.

Weighted Hip Thrusts

Your familiar hip thrust gets an extra assignment. A dumbbell or barbell adds resistance directly across your hips, making this a useful progression for building your gluteus maximus.

How to Do It

• Sit with your upper back against a secured bench, knees bent and feet flat.
• Hold a dumbbell or padded barbell securely across your hip crease.
• Position your feet so your shins are roughly vertical at the top.
• Brace your core and push through your feet to lift your hips.
• Squeeze glutes when torso and thighs align, without arching your back.
• Lower slowly through a comfortable range, keeping the weight stable.

Tip: Always use padding between the weight and your hips. The bar shouldn’t be the most uncomfortable part of your workout.

Dumbbell Sumo Squats

Take your wider squat stance and invite a dumbbell along. This variation challenges your glutes, quadriceps, and inner thighs while keeping the weight centered between your legs.

How to Do It

• Stand with your feet comfortably wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly turned outward.
• Hold one dumbbell securely with both hands, letting it hang between your legs.
• Brace your core and bend your hips and knees to lower into a squat.
• Keep your whole foot grounded and your knees tracking in the direction of your toes.
• Lower as far as you can comfortably control, then press through your feet to stand.

Tip: Hold the dumbbell close to your body. If it swings forward, slow down and try a lighter weight.

 

Banded Squats With Lateral Emphasis

A loop band gives your side glutes something extra to manage while your legs handle the squat. The band pulls your knees inward, and your hip muscles work to maintain alignment.

How to Do It

• Place a loop band just above your knees.
• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes comfortably outward.
• Press gently against the band, knees aligned with toes.
• Brace your core and squat slowly, keeping knees from collapsing inward.
• Push through your feet to stand, maintaining alignment and band tension.

Tip: Press gently against the band, but don’t push your knees too far out. Keep your feet flat on the ground.

Weighted Step-Ups

The step stays the same; the challenge grows. Holding dumbbells increases the demand on your working leg while your core helps prevent leaning or twisting.

How to Do It

• Choose a stable, low platform and hold a light dumbbell in each hand beside your body.
• Place your entire working foot on the platform, keeping your hips facing forward.
• Brace your abdomen and lean slightly forward from your hips.
• Push through the elevated foot to step up, minimizing assistance from your trailing leg.
• Stand tall with your pelvis level, then lower slowly to the floor.
• Complete your repetitions before switching legs, keeping the weights still.

Tip: Increase the weight or the step height one at a time, not both at once. Lower yourself with control.

For more practice keeping your torso steady under load, explore Crunch’s core stability workouts.

Cable Kickbacks

Despite the name, this exercise needs more control than a kick. Cable kickbacks challenge your gluteus maximus as you move your thigh backward against resistance.

How to Do It

• Set the cable pulley near floor level and secure an ankle cuff around your working leg.
• Face the machine, hold its support, and step back enough to create gentle cable tension.
• Soften your supporting knee, hinge slightly forward, and brace your abdomen.
• Move your working leg backward slowly, keeping a slight bend in that knee and your hips facing the machine.
• Stop before your lower back arches or your pelvis rotates.
• Return with control, then finish your set before switching sides.

Tip: Focus on small, controlled movements instead of big swings. If the weight makes you lose your position, use less resistance.

Curious about where cables fit alongside dumbbells and barbells? Crunch’s comparison of gym machines versus free weights can help you explore your options.

Advanced Hip and Glute Exercises for Hip Dips

Ready for a bigger challenge? These hip and glute exercises use heavier resistance, single-leg loading, and deliberate pauses to make familiar movements more demanding. 

They can support continued muscle development, but “advanced” doesn’t automatically mean better results or disappearing hip dips.

Before progressing, you should be able to perform the foundational versions with consistent control, stable hip positioning, and no joint pain. Crunch’s trainers can assess your readiness and guide progression; explore what to consider when hiring a personal trainer for lifting weights.

Heavy Barbell Hip Thrusts

Your glutes have been practicing for this, but the barbell still needs to earn its extra plates. Heavy hip thrusts challenge hip extension with greater resistance while requiring the same controlled positioning you learned with lighter loads.

How to Do It

• Secure the bench; load the bar evenly with collars and a thick hip pad.
• Rest your upper back against the bench, holding the padded bar across your hip crease.
• Plant feet so shins are roughly vertical at the top.
• Brace your core and lift your hips without bouncing.
• Stop when torso and thighs align, ribs down and back unarched.
• Lower slowly, controlling your hips and the bar.

Tip: What feels heavy is different for everyone. Use a weight that challenges you but still lets you do one or two more reps with good form. Practice your setup before adding more weight.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts With Weight

One leg works while the other reaches back as a counterbalance. This variation challenges your glutes, hamstrings, and hip stability, with concentration joining the workout for free.

How to Do It

• Hold a dumbbell opposite your working leg, with sturdy support nearby.
• Shift onto your working foot, soften the knee, and brace your core.
• Hinge forward, extending your free leg behind you.
• Keep hips facing the floor and the dumbbell close to your supporting leg.
• Stop before your back rounds or hips rotate, then stand with control.
• Finish your repetitions, then switch sides.

Tip: Lightly holding onto something for support can help you focus on working your glutes. You don’t need to make balance the main challenge.

If holding the dumbbell becomes the limiting factor, explore Crunch’s ways to build hand strength for heavier lifts.

Weighted Bulgarian Split Squats

Your familiar split squat now comes with extra baggage. The useful, muscle kind. Dumbbells increase the demand on your front glute and thigh while your core helps keep you steady.

How to Do It

• Hold dumbbells at your sides in front of a stable, low bench.
• Rest your rear foot’s top on the bench, keeping your feet slightly apart sideways.
• Brace your core, face hips forward, and lean slightly from your hips.
• Bend your front knee, lowering your back knee with your front foot grounded.
• Lower comfortably without twisting or bouncing.
• Push through your front foot to stand; finish your set, then switch sides.

Tip: Practice your stance without weights first. If using dumbbells makes you lose balance or do fewer reps, use lighter weights.

Cable Pull-Throughs

The cable provides the backward pull; your glutes and hamstrings bring you upright. Pull-throughs reinforce the hip hinge and can complement a demanding routine, although the movement itself isn’t reserved for advanced lifters.

How to Do It

• Attach a rope to a low pulley and face away.
• Hold the rope between your legs; step forward until the cable is taut.
• Keep feet comfortably apart, knees soft, and core braced.
• Push hips back, letting the rope pass between your thighs, spine neutral.
• Push through your feet and extend your hips to stand, arms relaxed.
• Repeat slowly, staying balanced and avoiding slamming the weights.

Tip: Let your arms just hold the rope, not pull it. If you have to use your shoulders to move the weight, use less resistance.

Banded Hip Thrusts With a Pause at the Top

Same lift, longer moment of truth. A band above your knees challenges hip alignment while a deliberate pause removes the temptation to bounce through repetitions.

How to Do It

• Place a band above your knees, upper back against a secured bench.
• Plant feet hip-width apart, pressing gently outward against the band.
• Brace your core and lift hips until torso and thighs align.
• Hold for 2–3 seconds, squeezing glutes with ribs down and pelvis steady.
• Lower slowly, keeping knees aligned and avoiding bouncing.

Tip: The band mostly works your side glutes. Once you can pause at the top with control, you can add a padded weight across your hips to make it harder.

Choose these progressions to fit your existing routine; you don’t need to squeeze all five into every session. For ideas on organizing your training, explore Crunch’s guide to building lower body strength.

How Often Should You Train to Reduce Hip Dips?

Hip dips workouts can build surrounding muscle, but anatomy and genetics largely determine hip dips, so appearance changes vary. More sessions aren’t automatically better: muscle growth depends on challenging training balanced with recovery.

Start with two or three weekly sessions. Experienced lifters may use three to four, spreading their workload across shorter workouts rather than making every day heavy.

Try these schedules:

• Three days: Monday, squats and hip thrusts; Wednesday, lighter hip abductions and clamshells; Friday, Romanian deadlifts and step-ups.
• Four days: Monday and Thursday, compound lower body training; Tuesday and Saturday, brief, lighter isolation sessions.

For hip and glute exercises, allow roughly 48 hours between demanding sessions targeting the same muscles. Workouts on back-to-back days should vary in focus and intensity so the same muscles have enough time to recover. 

If you’re too sore or your performance drops, do fewer sessions or sets. Add more sessions only when you recover well. Your glutes need a smart plan, not just more workouts.

Understanding Hip Dips and Why They Occur

Hip dips are the natural inward curves between your hips and upper thighs. How visible they are depends on your pelvic shape, femur position, and how muscle and fat cover your bones. It’s about your anatomy, not missing a workout.

People of all weights and fitness levels have hip dips. They aren’t caused by extra fat, and you can’t get rid of them with diet or cardio. Looking for ways to remove hip dips can lead to unrealistic promises.

Hip and glute exercises can build surrounding muscle, including the gluteus medius, which helps move your leg sideways and stabilize your pelvis. That growth may create a fuller transition around the hips for some people.

But genetics play a big role in your shape and how visible your hip dips are. Two people can do the same workouts and get stronger glutes, but their bodies may still look different.

Setting Realistic Expectations About Hip Dips

The best hip dips exercises can help you build stronger, bigger glutes, but they can’t guarantee a certain shape. Some people see a smoother line from hip to thigh after training, while others still have visible dips because of their bone structure.

Neither result means your workout didn’t work. Getting stronger, moving better, and building muscle are all real progress, even if you don’t see big changes in the mirror.

Instead of measuring success only by appearance, track the resistance you use, the repetitions you control, and how confidently you move. Crunch’s glute strength exercises offer ideas for building strength that carries into everyday activities.

If you’re looking for ways to fix hip dips, remember that your normal anatomy doesn’t need fixing. You can work on building fuller glutes and still accept your shape. Focus on strength, health, and enjoying your workouts, any changes in appearance are a bonus.

The Role of Nutrition in Muscle Development

Your glutes need more than just lots of squats. They also need the right fuel. Hip dips workouts help build muscle, but you need enough calories and protein to support muscle repair and growth.

A study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that a practical protein target for healthy adults building muscle is approximately 0.7–1 gram per pound of body weight daily, although individual needs vary. Spread protein across meals using foods such as eggs, yogurt, fish, tofu, beans, or poultry. Supplements are optional, not a membership requirement for muscle growth.

“Dietary protein supplementation significantly enhanced changes in muscle strength and size during prolonged RET in healthy adults,” indicates the study.

Eating enough calories, or a little more than you burn, helps you build muscle better than cutting calories too much. Beginners might gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, but not eating enough can hurt your workouts and recovery.

Include carbohydrates, dietary fats, and varied produce alongside protein. Visible changes take months of consistent nutrition and strength training for hips.

Crunch trainers can offer general nutrition guidance within their qualifications and refer you to a registered dietitian for individualized advice.

Read more: An Individualized Daily Diet Plan

8 Tips for Building Your Hip and Glute Muscles

Getting more from your hip and glute exercises comes down to how you train, fuel, and recover. Keep these eight tips in your gym bag unless you enjoy carrying printouts.

• Choose a manageable training frequency: Start with two or three weekly sessions; experienced lifters may spread their workload across three or four if recovery allows. More training days don’t automatically mean more muscle.
• Increase the challenge gradually: Add repetitions, weight, or band resistance as your current workload becomes easier. Progressive overload keeps your muscles challenged as they grow stronger.
• Make good form your baseline: Keep your movements controlled, your core engaged, and your joints comfortably aligned. Increase resistance only when you can maintain that technique throughout your set.
• Combine compound and isolation exercises: Pair squats, step-ups, or Romanian deadlifts with hip abductions and other targeted movements. This gives your larger glutes and smaller side glutes attention.
• Stay consistent for months: Stick with a routine you can manage, track your progress, and improve over time. Your muscles benefit more from regular workouts than from occasional long sessions.
• Fuel your muscle growth: Eat enough protein and overall calories to support training and recovery. Balanced meals give your body the resources to respond to the work you’re doing.
• Give recovery a place in your schedule: Allow roughly 48 hours between demanding sessions targeting the same muscles, adjusting for soreness and performance. Sleep and rest days are part of the program.
• Work with a Crunch trainer to build a plan: A trainer can help you choose exercises, progress safely, and set realistic goals based on your experience and body. Find a training schedule that fits your life.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even the best hip dips exercises work best with realistic expectations and steady effort. Watch out for these common habits that can slow your progress or make it harder to see results.

• Expecting hip dips to go away completely: Exercise can’t change the bone structure that causes hip dips. If you only focus on making them disappear, you might miss out on real gains in muscle and strength.
• Letting momentum do the lifting: Swinging through kickbacks or bouncing through hip thrusts can shift work away from your intended muscles and make positioning harder to control. Use resistance that lets you move deliberately through each repetition.
• Keeping every set too comfortable: Light weights can build muscle when the sets are sufficiently challenging, but repeatedly stopping well before your muscles have to work hard may limit progress. Gradually increase repetitions or resistance while preserving your technique.
• Forgetting your side glutes: Hip thrusts are great, but don’t skip exercises like hip abductions or lateral band walks. These help train the gluteus medius along with the bigger gluteus maximus.
• Training off and on or always changing routines: Taking long breaks or switching exercises too often makes it hard to improve. Stick to a plan you can repeat and keep track of your reps and weights.
• Underfueling your workouts: Inadequate protein and aggressive calorie restriction can make muscle development and recovery harder. Give your body enough nourishment to support the training you’re asking it to perform.

How Crunch Fitness Can Help You Build Stronger Hips and Glutes

You bring the effort, and Crunch provides coaching, equipment, and support. These three things can help you turn hip and glute exercises into a routine you enjoy.

Realistic Goals and Expert Coaching

Crunch personal trainers can tailor your program to your strength, goals, and movement needs while explaining what exercise can, and cannot, change about your shape. Coaching helps refine technique and positioning so your side glutes and stabilizing muscles get attention, too. Explore whether personal training is worth it for your goals.

 

Comprehensive Equipment for Hips and Glutes Training

From dumbbells and barbells to resistance bands, cables, and hip machines, Crunch offers ways to challenge your muscles as you progress. Cables allow targeted hip work, while adjustable machines provide supported resistance options. Explore Crunch’s equipment selection and check your club for availability.

Group Fitness Classes

Strength and circuit classes often include squats, bridges, and other lower body exercises. Instructors give tips and modifications, so you can try new moves, stay motivated, and build consistency with others. Check out Crunch’s group fitness classes and your local schedule—leg day might become your favorite.

Join Us!

Crunch promotes a culture of positivity, inclusivity, and fun with no judgments by providing an environment for all individuals regardless of their health and fitness goals. Find a Crunch gym near you to try our free trial membership, or join Crunch now. We’re here for you – at the gym or at home. Access the best live & on-demand workouts anytime, anywhere with Crunch+. Ready to get sweaty? Try hundreds of workouts for free! Start your free trial now!

 

FAQs

Can Exercise Get Rid of Hip Dips?

Exercise can’t change the bone structure that causes hip dips, but building muscle around your hips may make them less noticeable. Hip and glute workouts will help you get stronger, even if the dips are still visible.

Are Hip Dips Caused By Being Overweight?

No, hip dips are mostly due to your anatomy and genetics, not your weight. People of all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels can have them.

How Long Does It Take To See Results From Hip Exercises?

You might feel stronger after a few weeks, but it usually takes a few months of regular exercise to see muscle growth. Changes in how your hip dips look are different for everyone and aren’t guaranteed.

Can I Target Fat Loss Specifically At My Hip Dips?

No, you can’t burn fat from just your hip dips with exercise. These moves help build muscle around the area, but losing fat overall comes from changes in your diet and activity level.

Do Hip Dips Mean I Have Wide Hips or Narrow Hips?

Hip dips can show up whether your hips are wide or narrow. How noticeable they are depends on your bones, muscles, and body fat.

What’s The Best Exercise For Filling Out Hip Dips?

There isn’t one best exercise for hip dips, but moves like hip abductions and lateral band walks work the side glutes. Adding hip thrusts or squats helps build your glutes overall, but changes in appearance are different for everyone.

Can Men Have Hip Dips?

Yes, men can have hip dips too. They’re a normal part of human anatomy, and how visible they are depends on your bones, muscles, and fat.

Will Squats Alone Reduce Hip Dips?

Squats by themselves probably won’t get rid of hip dips, but they do help build your glutes and thighs. Doing hip abduction exercises targets the side glutes, but there’s no guarantee of a certain shape.

Can Diet Affect The Appearance Of Hip Dips?

Your diet can affect how your hip dips look by changing your muscle and body fat distribution, but it can’t change your bones. Eating enough protein and calories helps build muscle when you stick with regular strength training.